COMM 216

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COMM 216

Academic Articles

How do I tell if an article is academic or not?

Look for these characteristics:

	Academic articles	Non-academic articles
Author	Academic or researcher; look for author affiliations on the first or last page	Editorial staff, freelance writer, possibly a researcher
Format	Abstract/summary, charts or graphs	Pictures, graphics
Citations	Formal bibliography; uses footnotes or list of citations	No formal bibliography; may include quotes or mention other research in text
Language	Technical, assumes prior knowledge	Short, simple language
Purpose	Report original research or experiment to other academics and researchers	Inform, entertain, sell a product or idea
Publisher	Professional organization	Company, trade association

Academic Article
Non-Academic Article

Note author affiliations, abstract, and citation.

Academic Article Example

Note this article does not have an abstract, has pictures, and does not include citations.

Non-Academic Article Example

Searching for Articles

The library website or library databases are a great place to find academic articles. You can usually limit your search to academic articles by selecting "scholarly" or "peer-reviewed." Check out the below videos to learn how.

Links to popular databases

Academic Search Premier (EBSCO)

This multi-disciplinary database provides full text for more than 4,500 journals, including full text from 1975-present for more than 3,700 peer-reviewed titles.

Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCO)

Database containing journals and author profiles in the areas of communications, media and related disciplines.